Bill Simon

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon will stop in Newport Beach on Thursday as part of his hoped-for trip to Sacramento. Simon will face Gov. Gray Davis, the Democrat candidate, in the November general election. On Thursday evening, Simon is scheduled to address a Southern California real estate trade group in Newport Beach. Simon will speak to the local chapter of the National Assn. of Industrial and Office Properties. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Club, at 4110 MacArthur Blvd.

Paul Clinton Republican gubernatorial challenger Bill Simon Jr. emphasized his pro-business platform, promised to roll back what he said were onerous regulations and criticized Gov. Gray Davis' handling of the energy crisis and budget during a speech in Newport Beach on Thursday. "I'm at the right place at the right time," Simon told several hundred business leaders at the exclusive Pacific Club. "It's time for new leadership." The investment banker-turned-politician will face Davis in the Nov. 5 election for the state's top office.

It may seem this Tuesday's vote is all about Measure W and the future of an El Toro airport. But, as always, there are many important decisions to make as we exercise the cornerstone right and privilege of our country. In this Republican stronghold, there is the decision in the GOP gubernatorial primary, which polls show has tightened up between former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and businessman Bill Simon. Sec. of State Bill Jones also is among the trio of top candidates looking to unseat Gov. Gray Davis in November.

SEPTEMBER 10: A tea in honor of Cindy Simon, wife of Republican nominee for governor Bill Simon, 11:30 a.m. at the home of Jo-Helen Steckbauer in Costa Mesa. (714) 546-6985. 11: Republican Party of Orange County, Sept. 11 memorial prayer breakfast, 7:30 a.m. at the Sutton Place Hotel. Special guest will be Bruce Herschensohn. $20 per person, or $200 for table of 10. (714) 556-8555. 16: Republican Party of Orange County Central Committee general meeting, 7 p.m. at the South Coast Plaza Westin Hotel, 686 Anton Blvd.

Paul Clinton A local Assembly primary has reignited a 4-year-old debate about which ideological view should hold sway in the Republican Party. Moderate Cristi Cristich is facing off against conservatives Chuck DeVore, Marianne Zippi and Don Wagner in the 70th Assembly race. The race is raising deeper questions about whether a candidate who shuns social stances on abortion, gun rights and other potentially divisive issues can win in an Orange County Republican primary.

Paul Clinton A lackluster governor's race, between a fund-raising machine of an incumbent and a relative political novice of a challenger, isn't burning any barns here, mirroring the state's response. George Henry, who was shopping at South Coast Plaza on Monday, echoed the sentiment of many, saying he had no plans to vote on Nov. 5. Henry, a Santa Ana resident, said he has been put off by the negative tone of the race between Gov. Gray Davis and Republican businessman Bill Simon.

Among the e-mails that have come into the Pilot in recent weeks was an interesting one from former Assemblyman Gil Ferguson. Ferguson, despite being out of office nearly a decade, is still as hard-charging a conservative Republican as there is in Newport-Mesa. He leads a group, Principles over Politics, that consists of like-minded GOPers who don't believe the party needs to swing to the middle to get new votes. In an article on the group's Web site, written after the last statewide election (again, I feel compelled to mention that was just last year)

JOSEPH N. BELL The sudden and quite remarkable conversion of Orange County GOP Chairman Tom Fuentes to the World According to Arnold is going to leave a lot of local Republicans without a philosophical base. It is rumored that Fuentes had his fingers crossed behind his back while sounding jovial about the election of a Republican standard-bearer who supports choice for women, restrictions on guns and other violations of the canon laws of the Republican right.

Paul Clinton Pundits' observations that the governor's race isn't generating much interest with voters didn't apply to the crowd of Republicans that packed a wealthy industrialist's local office Monday to watch the first, and probably last, debate between the two leading candidates. When Gov. Gray Davis referred to Republican challenger Bill Simon as the "first son of the far right," loud boos filled the room, a top-floor office at the Koll Center.

Just a couple years ago, Sara Myers spent a good amount of time cramming for political science tests. From January to March 2, Myers tried to cram more hours into the day to rally volunteers and voters onto the John Campbell for state Senate bandwagon. In her short time since graduating from Pepperdine University, she's worked for Bill Simon, then Campbell, then Simon for the recall campaign, and now Campbell again. With Campbell's campaign headquarters on Bay Street and Newport Boulevard having been entirely cleared out Friday, Myers is now preparing for the real race in November.

JOSEPH N. BELL The sudden and quite remarkable conversion of Orange County GOP Chairman Tom Fuentes to the World According to Arnold is going to leave a lot of local Republicans without a philosophical base. It is rumored that Fuentes had his fingers crossed behind his back while sounding jovial about the election of a Republican standard-bearer who supports choice for women, restrictions on guns and other violations of the canon laws of the Republican right.

Among the e-mails that have come into the Pilot in recent weeks was an interesting one from former Assemblyman Gil Ferguson. Ferguson, despite being out of office nearly a decade, is still as hard-charging a conservative Republican as there is in Newport-Mesa. He leads a group, Principles over Politics, that consists of like-minded GOPers who don't believe the party needs to swing to the middle to get new votes. In an article on the group's Web site, written after the last statewide election (again, I feel compelled to mention that was just last year)

Paul Clinton A local Assembly primary has reignited a 4-year-old debate about which ideological view should hold sway in the Republican Party. Moderate Cristi Cristich is facing off against conservatives Chuck DeVore, Marianne Zippi and Don Wagner in the 70th Assembly race. The race is raising deeper questions about whether a candidate who shuns social stances on abortion, gun rights and other potentially divisive issues can win in an Orange County Republican primary.

Deepa Bharath Anthony Duffy is a Republican. He is also an attorney. The 55-year-old Newport Beach lawyer says his duty to his client comes before his allegiance to his party. Duffy figured that out in the process of winning a $97-million jury award for client Paul Hindelang in July against William E. Simon & Sons, a company owned by failed gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon. That jury award is believed to be the eighth largest in the nation for the year 2002.

Paul Clinton A lackluster governor's race, between a fund-raising machine of an incumbent and a relative political novice of a challenger, isn't burning any barns here, mirroring the state's response. George Henry, who was shopping at South Coast Plaza on Monday, echoed the sentiment of many, saying he had no plans to vote on Nov. 5. Henry, a Santa Ana resident, said he has been put off by the negative tone of the race between Gov. Gray Davis and Republican businessman Bill Simon.

Paul Clinton Pundits' observations that the governor's race isn't generating much interest with voters didn't apply to the crowd of Republicans that packed a wealthy industrialist's local office Monday to watch the first, and probably last, debate between the two leading candidates. When Gov. Gray Davis referred to Republican challenger Bill Simon as the "first son of the far right," loud boos filled the room, a top-floor office at the Koll Center.

SEPTEMBER 10: A tea in honor of Cindy Simon, wife of Republican nominee for governor Bill Simon, 11:30 a.m. at the home of Jo-Helen Steckbauer in Costa Mesa. (714) 546-6985. 11: Republican Party of Orange County, Sept. 11 memorial prayer breakfast, 7:30 a.m. at the Sutton Place Hotel. Special guest will be Bruce Herschensohn. $20 per person, or $200 for table of 10. (714) 556-8555. 16: Republican Party of Orange County Central Committee general meeting, 7 p.m. at the South Coast Plaza Westin Hotel, 686 Anton Blvd.

Paul Clinton Republican gubernatorial challenger Bill Simon Jr. emphasized his pro-business platform, promised to roll back what he said were onerous regulations and criticized Gov. Gray Davis' handling of the energy crisis and budget during a speech in Newport Beach on Thursday. "I'm at the right place at the right time," Simon told several hundred business leaders at the exclusive Pacific Club. "It's time for new leadership." The investment banker-turned-politician will face Davis in the Nov. 5 election for the state's top office.